Contactor apparatus comprising automatic opening means and a local control member

Abstract

A contactor apparatus is provided comprising automatic opening means and a local control member. This apparatus uses a transmission piece (40) associated with a sudden tripping mechanism (46) which is released by a bolt (29) held in position by means of a lever (24) which may be struck by a magnetizable part and adapted to maintain a power contact (13) open, this part assuming, after the appearance of a fault, visible positions so as to inform the user about the state of the apparatus. This apparatus is usable in installations where it is desired to protect the lines and the loads.

I claim: 
     
       1. A contactor apparatus comprising, housed in a casing: a. at least one contact set connected in a power circuit and including stationary and movable power contacts;   b. spring means cooperating with said movable power contacts for normally closing said contact set;   c. pusher means cooperating with said movable power contacts for opening the said contact set against the action of said spring means;   d. control of electro-magnet means having an energizing coil connected in a control circuit, an armature and means for transmitting the motion of said armature to the pusher means;   e. overload tripping means including a coil connected in series with said contact set in said power circuit means and striker means electro-magnetically controlled by said coil;   f. a pivotable lever having first and second arms, said lever being pivoted by said striker means from a rest position to an actuated position in which the first arm has displaced the said pusher means to open the contact set;   g. spring-actuated elongated bolt means having first and second end portions and at the first end portion thereof first and second camming surface, the first camming surface being, in a rest position of said bolt means, retained by the second arm of the lever when the latter is in the said rest position, whereas, when the lever is in the said actuated position, the bolt means is released into an actuated position and the second camming surface cooperates with the second arm of the lever to maintain the latter in its actuated position;   h. control switch means connected in said control circuit in series with the said energizing coil and spring means for normally closing the said control switch means;   i. mechanical tripping means comprising a spring-actuated member displaceable from a rest position to an actuated position in which the tripping means cooperate with the control switch means to maintain the same in the open condition, the said spring-actuated member being so arranged that the position thereof will be visible from outside the casing and having means, accessible from outside the casing enabling an operator normally to displace it from its actuated to its rest position, the second end portion of the said bolt means cooperating with the said tripping means when the pivotable lever is in the actuated position to open the control switch means and release the spring actuated member for motion to its actuated position.   
     
     
       2. A contact apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second end of the bolt means has an end camming surface and a protruding portion and the tripping means further comprise a rocking control lever having an interlocking projection, a first arm which cooperates with the control switch and a second arm, the said protruding portion cooperating with the second arm of the rocking lever to rock the same from a rest position to an actuated position in which the first arm of the rocking lever opens the control switch, the spring actuated member having a thrust surface portion which cooperates with the said camming surface to reset the bolt means into its rest position, a holding surface portion which cooperates with the said interlocking projection to prevent displacement of the spring actuated member in the rest position of the rocking lever, the spring actuated member further having a bearing surface which cooperates with the said interlocking projection in the actuated position of the rocking lever to maintain the first arm of the rocking lever in a position where it maintains the control switch in the open condition. 
     
     
       3. A contactor apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein said second end of the bolt means has an end camming surface and a protruding portion, and the tripping means further comprise a rocking lever having an interlocking projection, a first arm which cooperates with the control switch and a second arm, the said protruding portion cooperating with the second arm of the rocking lever to rock the same from a rest position to an actuated position, in which the first arm of the rocking lever opens the control switch, the spring actuating member having a holding surface which cooperates with the said interlocking projection, to prevent displacement of the spring actuated member in the rest position of the rocking lever, the spring actuated member further having a bearing surface which cooperates with the said interlocking projection in the actuated position of the rocking lever, to maintain the first arm of the rocking lever in a position where it maintains the control switch in the open condition, the apparatus further comprising a further lever pivotably mounted on said spring-actuated member and having a rest position and a pivoted position, said further lever having a camming surface which cooperates with the said end camming surface of the bolt means and spring means cooperating with the said further lever, the said further lever being brought into its pivoted position by the said end camming surface against the action of the said spring means when the spring-actuated member is displaced from its rest position to its actuated position and the said further lever being reset to its rest position and resetting the bolt means into its rest position when the spring-actuated member is displaced from its actuated position to its rest position. 
     
     
       4. A contactor apparatus as claimed in claim 2, wherein spring means cooperate with the spring actuated member to displace the latter from its rest to its actuated position, the spring-actuated member has a stop surface which cooperates with the said end camming surface of the bolt means to prevent further displacement of the spring-actuated member towards its actuated position under the action of the said spring means when the said spring-actuated member is displaced into a further position intermediate between the rest and actuated positions thereof, the stop surface being arranged for enabling displacement of the spring actuated member under manual actuation. 
     
     
       5. A contactor apparatus as claimed in claim 2 or 3, wherein said bolt means include: a first bolt member including the said first end portion and having a further end portion; a pusher member having a first end portion cooperating with the further end portion of the first bolt member, said pusher member having a second end portion; a pivotable catch member having a first arm which cooperates with the second end portion of the pusher member and a second arm; and a second bolt member including the said second end portion and having a further end portion provided with a camming surface which cooperates with the second arm of the catch member and spring means for displacing the first and second bolt members towards actuated positions thereof when the first camming surface of the first bolt member and the camming surface of the second bolt member have been released.